Two Soviet Animated Films for Children with Music by Dmitri Shostakovich

The author of the article discusses two animated films for children, the music to which was created by Dmitri Shostakovich. These are animations directed by Mikhail Tsekhanovsky: The Tale of the Priest and of His Workman Balda (Сказка о попе и работнике его Балдe, 1933), a work preserved only in a fragment entitled Bazar) and The Tale About a Stupid Mouse (Сказка о глупом мышонке, 1940). Both films were interpreted based on the traditional method of analyzing film music, including a detailed description of the plot, image and music, as well as the way these layers are interconnected. Workshop, stylistic and aesthetic issues were taken into account. The entire considerations are complemented by a historical background presenting the most important data about the filmmakers and remarks about the socio-political conditions in which the films were made.